


brother knows best

by chasindsackmead



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 21:39:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7285705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasindsackmead/pseuds/chasindsackmead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carver threw his hands up. “I knew it! It’s because of him, isn’t it? You fancy him!”<br/>Garrett was so stunned that he took a moment to answer. “…I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said primly, and even to himself he sounded unconvincing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	brother knows best

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to Tumblr in response to [this super cute fanart by dr-mur](http://dr-mur.tumblr.com/post/138627222457/first-meeting-of-my-garrett-hawke-with-anders-x).

As they made their way through the alleys and up the stairs that led away from Darktown, Carver’s scowl grew deeper with every step. By the time they’d reached the surface, he was practically kicking the ground as he walked.

Garrett stopped dead at the edge of the road. “What is it this time?”

Carver glared. “Oh, _now_ he cares about my opinion? Now that it’s too late to make any difference? That’s wonderful.”

“Is this about Anders?”

“Of course it’s about bloody Anders! Another bloody apostate – ”

“Keep your voice down – ”

Carver glanced around them and moved in closer, speaking in a harsh mutter. “And we have to get his friend free of the Circle? Are you stark raving mad? Are you going to send the Knight-Commander an engraved invitation?”

“We won’t be anywhere near the Gallows, and we can handle ourselves. If it’s a trap – ”

“Of course it’s a trap! Do you think an apostate could run a clinic in the open like that without the templars knowing about it?”

“When was the last time you saw a templar in Darktown?”

“But he’s been getting letters from inside the Circle, and now they’ve dried up. They know! They’re trying to lure him out. Do you really want to risk it? There’s got to be another way to find an entrance to the Deep Roads.”

Garrett shrugged. “If there is, Bartrand hasn’t found one, and he’s been planning this expedition for years. You’re welcome to stay behind if you don’t want to come.”

“Maker’s breath, brother, that’s not the point!”

“If you had a point, you haven’t made it yet.”

“You don’t even care about the maps, do you? You’d do it anyway, even if he didn’t have them!”

Garrett opened his mouth to deny it, found he couldn’t, and grimaced instead. “Maybe I would. What of it?”

Carver threw his hands up. “I knew it! It’s because of _him_ , isn’t it? You fancy him!”

Garrett was so stunned that he took a moment to answer. “…I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said primly, and even to himself he sounded unconvincing.

“You got this stupid _look_ on your face when he started talking about his cat. There, look, you’ve got it again. It’s revolting.”

Garrett knew he was grinning, and he couldn’t stop himself. “He called it Ser Pounce-a-lot!”

Carver rolled his eyes and started walking again. “You’re impossible.”

Garrett stuffed his hands in his pockets and followed. “Come on, even you have to admit that was charming.”

“It was loony! Who brings a pet to the Deep Roads?” He sighed the heavy, put-upon sigh of a younger brother who had long since given up on making his older brother see reason. “Why can’t you ever like anyone normal? It’s not as if it’d be hard!”

Garrett frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, you know,” Carver’s expression had turned sour. “Everyone likes _you_. Peaches liked you. Lovely girl, Peaches.”

“Peaches has the brains of a chicken,” Garrett said on reflex, and then, when the implication sank in, he stared at Carver, a little baffled. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous. Over _her_?”

“Don’t flatter yourself!”

“Because I did rather think you had higher standards than that. She may be normal, but she’s also dull as ditchwater.”

“I don’t get to have standards, do I? Not when you’re around, soaking up all the attention.”

“Then you should be glad I’m only attracted to apostates and criminals. Leaves all the normal people for you.”

“That doesn’t make it better!”

Carver was practically growling in frustration. Hawke suppressed a laugh, then stopped suppressing it, because if Carver was being ridiculous, it was his sacred duty as an older brother to make sure he knew it.

“Oh, fine,” Carver muttered as they turned towards the Lowtown bazaar. “Laugh at me again. I’m used to it. You’ll be sorry when he gets you locked up in the Gallows.”

That thought sobered Garrett up, and he squeezed Carver’s shoulder. “It won’t come to that.”

Carver shot him a suspicious glance, refusing to be mollified, as usual. “It had better not. I don’t want to have to throw myself on the Knight-Commander’s sword because you took a liking to a man who doesn’t even know how to shave.”

Red-gold stubble all over that jaw, those cheeks – what would it feel like under his tongue? “I think it suits him,” said Garrett, and when Carver mimed vomiting into the gutter, he laughed. And changed the subject, because he could be merciful, sometimes.


End file.
